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Please join the worship by following the liturgy (program) in this bulletin. We encourage you to use the time before worship to pray and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to keep you centered and focused on what God may be saying to you. After worship, we invite you to pray for God’s strength to help you face and meet the demands of the world from this moment and in the days to come.
Prelude
| The Bidding Prayer | BCP p.833 |
Almighty God, who poursout on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship youin spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
| The Processional Hymn | Higher Ground | AAHH #419 |
| The Opening Acclamation | EOW, p.50 |
Celebrant Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.
People Glory to God for ever and ever.
| The Celebrant continues | BCP, p.355 |
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
| The Gloria | LEVAS II #243 |
Refrain: Glory, Glory, hallelujah,
Lord we praise your Holy name,
Glory, Glory hallelujah,
Lord we praise your Holy name.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to His people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God. Refrain
You take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Refrain
Celebrant God be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
The Collect of the Day
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lessons
| The First Lesson | Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 |
Reader A reading from the Book of Esther.
The king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me– that is my petition– and the lives of my people– that is my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king.” Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?” Esther said, “A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Look, the very gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stands at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated.
Mordecai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
People Thanks be to God.
| The Psalm 124 | Nisi quia Dominus | BCP, p.781 |
1 If the Lord had not been on our side, *
let Israel now say;
2 If the Lord had not been on our side, *
when enemies rose up against us;
3 Then would they have swallowed us up alive *
in their fierce anger toward us;
4 Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *
and the torrent gone over us;
5 Then would the raging waters *
have gone right over us.
6 Blessed be the Lord! *
he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; *
the snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the Name of the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
| The Second Lesson | James 5:13-20 |
Reader A reading from the Epistle of James.
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
People Thanks be to God.
| The Sequence Hymn | I Love You, Lord | AAHH #573 |
| The Gospel | Mark 9:38-50 |
Please stand as you are able.
Gospeller The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Mark.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Gospeller The Gospel of our Savior.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Homily Henry Kennelly
We will maintain a brief silence to allow for reflection.
| The Nicene Creed | [Please stand as you are able] | EOW, p.53 |
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Leader
God of life and love: We are quick to accept bounteous gifts from you, but slow to give thanks and to express our gratitude.
We hold too tightly the things of this life,
giving them the allegiance we owe only to you.
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Gracious God, we admit that our lives are too often out of balance; we are more willing to receive than to share, more ready to take than to give.
Create in us grateful and generous hearts, we pray,
and restore to us the joy of our salvation.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
Merciful God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift, we praise you for your mercies;
your goodness that has created us;
your grace that has sustained us.
Your discipline that has corrected us, your patience that has borne with us,
and your love that has redeemed us.
Take my will, and make it thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
It shall be thy royal throne,
It shall be thy royal throne.
Help us to love you, and to be thankful for all your gifts by serving you and delighting to do your will.
Accept now, Gracious God, our offerings,
these our pledges of resources and talents
for your service, and the commitment of our lives,
through Jesus Christ, who gave his all for us.
Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store,
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee. Amen.
© Church Publishing Incorporated
For whom or what else shall we pray today?
[The congregation may offer their petitions in the silence of their hearts or aloud.]
The Prayer to End Gun Violence
God of Justice, help us, your church, find our voice. Turn us from the worship of power. Give us courage to confront our false gods and to protest the needless deaths caused by gun violence. Help us rise above our dread that nothing can be done and grant us the conviction to advocate for change. For your dream of a world where children are safe and all of us live together without fear, Loving God, make us instruments of your peace. Amen.
The Concluding Collect
Celebrant
Hear the prayers of your people, O God, and inspire us with gratitude and abundance as we share our many gifts with You and the world You made. Amen.
| The Confession | EOW, p.19 |
Celebrant Let us confess our sins to God.
Silence may be kept.
Celebrant and People
God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.
| The Absolution | EOW, p.20 |
Celebrant
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
| The Exchange of the Peace | EOW, p.56 |
Celebrant The peace of Christ be always with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us share the peace with one another and our guests.
The Celebrant and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
| The Words of Welcome | St. Titus’Vestry Member |
Walk in Love Reflection
| The Holy Communion | (Eucharistic Prayer 3) | EOW, pp.62-65 |
The Offertory
| The Offertory Sentence | Ephesians 5:2 |
Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.
| The Offertory Hymn | You Can’t Beat God Giving | AAHH #671 |
The Great Thanksgiving (standing)
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Celebrant
All thanks and praise are yours at all times and in all places, our true and loving God; through Jesus Christ, your eternal Word, the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things. You laid the foundations of the world and enclosed the sea when it burst out from the womb; You brought forth all creatures of the earth and gave breath to humankind.
Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing, all you create is a sign of hope for our journey; And so as the morning stars sing your praises we join the heavenly beings and all creation as we shout (sing) with joy:
| The Sanctus [Spoken at 8:30 a.m.] Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. | [Sung at 10:30 a.m.] LEVAS II #255 |
The Celebrant continues
Glory and honor are yours, Creator of all, your Word has never been silent; you called a people to yourself, as a light to the nations, you delivered them from bondage and led them to a land of promise. Of your grace, you gave Jesus to be human, to share our life, to proclaim the coming of your holy reign and give himself for us, a fragrant offering.
Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, you have freed us from sin, brought us into your life, reconciled us to you, and restored us to the glory you intend for us.
We thank you that on the night before he died for us Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, gave it to his friends and said: “Take, eat, this is my Body, broken for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper Jesus took the cup of wine, said the blessing, gave it to his friends and said: “Drink this, all of you: this cup is the new Covenant in my Blood, poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
And so, remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to you these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ:
Celebrant and People
Dying, you destroyed our death.
Rising, you restored our life.
Christ Jesus, come in glory!
The Celebrant continues
Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine that they may be to us the Body and Blood of your Christ. Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power, may be a people of hope, justice and love.
Giver of Life, draw us together in the Body of Christ, and in the fullness of time gather us with [blessed _______, and] all your people into the joy of our true eternal home. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, we worship you our God and Creator in voices of unending praise.
Celebrant and People
Blessed are you now and for ever. Amen.
| The Lord’s Prayer | [Spoken at 8:30am, sung at 10:30am] | LEVAS II #264 |
The Celebrant says
As our Savior Christ has taught us we are bold to say (sing):
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
| The Breaking of the Bread | EOW, p.69 |
Celebrant We break this bread to share in the Body of Christ.
People We who are many are one body; for we all share in the one bread.
| The Fraction Anthem | Lamb of God | LEVAS II #270 |
Celebrant
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
A Prayer for Spiritual Communion
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
The Administration of Communion
At the time of communion, you are invited to come forward and receive the bread and wine. The priest will place a wafer in your hand. You may then receive wine either by direct consumption from a chalice (Common Cup), or you may give the wafer to the Eucharistic minister who will dip the wafer in the wine and place the wafer on your tongue. You may also still come forward to receive a blessing. Simply cross your arms over your chest before the priest for the blessing. After receiving communion or a blessing, you may return to your seat.
The Bread and cup are given to the communicants with these words:
The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen
The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. Amen.
Celebrant All are welcome to the Lord’s table. Won’t you come?
| The Communion Hymn | Shine on Me | AAHH #527 |
| The Post-Communion Prayer | EOW, p. 69 |
Celebrant Let us pray.
God of abundance, you have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; you have united us with Christ and one another; and you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.
Community Announcements
| The Corporate Blessing |
Celebrant
Life is short. We don’t have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us along the way. So, let us be swift to love and make haste to be kind. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with and among you always. Amen.
| The Recessional Hymn | Victory is Mine | AAHH #489 |
The Dismissal
Celebrant Let us go forth into the world rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Alleluia, Alleluia.
People Alleluia, Alleluia. Thanks be to God.
St. Titus' Episcopal Church 